Inheritance
by JustWanted89
Summary: Masyaf? What am I doing here? Why do I have my own body? Desmond somehow travels back in time. Being alone in a new city and different era, unable to speak the language, makes things hard. But then he meets someone he knows. Whilst trying to cope with the situation, he accidentally gets involved in something bigger—something he'd always wanted to avoid.
1. Chapter 1

_Will you be there when the sun shines no more?_

White. It's everywhere. Wherever you look, and wherever you go, it's waiting for you. But sometimes. . .there's also red, tainting the white. Captivating you, making you glance at it more and more often. Seconds later, it might be gone. Nothing is permanent. Because nothing is true. And everything's permitted.

~.~

I wouldn't call myself impulsive. For that matter, I'd actually say I'm quite patient. Since I worked at a bar, I'm used to different kinds of behaviour. And although I never hated my job, it got really tiring whenever an idiot decided to play it cool in front of his so-called friends, and start a fight for no reason. Each and every time, I convinced myself not to beat the shit out of whoever thought that was a good idea, even though all I wanted was a quiet night without some bastard ruining the peace I couldn't hope to get at home because of my ever-loving neighbours. So yeah, I'm patient. But even I have my limits. Abstergo crossed those limits within seconds.

"I won't."

His eyes were focused on mine, not blinking once. It seemed like hours before he closed them. He sighed in frustration and faced the wall, arms behind his back as usual.

Then he walked toward the bed I lie on, slowing the nearer he got.

"Don't be so foolish," he said, staring down with amused—but still cold—grey eyes. "You surely didn't think you had a _choice_?" He spat the word, as if entertaining that possibility was insulting.

Before I could answer, he raised his left brow. "Live or die—that's the only thing you may decide on. The outcome will be the same." I glared as he went to the door, pushed the button to open it, and walked slowly through the frame.

I carefully sat up.

"I await you in fifteen minutes, Mr. Miles. And for your sake, I hope you won't disappoint me." I heard the usual swishing as the door closed.

My neck was sore, and my head felt like shit. That damn doctor thought it couldn't hurt to keep me in one or two hours longer yesterday. Not that I minded. I was absolutely happy here in my nice little room, trapped by crazy scientists that wanted to make the world gold and shiny, in a machine invented to let you know what hell's really like.  
Subject 16 would've agreed with me, if not for the incident where he went berserk and started drawing symbols on the beautiful white walls, before dying—probably from blood loss. All thanks to some pen he found wherever; I didn't know, because the room included a bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with nothing on it. Guess I could call myself lucky. I didn't need to fear that one day a pen would be lying there waiting to seduce me.

_Note to self: When your head feels like it's going to explode, stop thinking._

In that moment I felt nothing but pain, caused by enduring what turned out to be _fou__r_ more hours in the Animus. Replaying memories that weren't even mine.

I had about eleven minutes before the procedure started over.

And I'd slept _on_ my blanket. Again. No wonder my neck stiffened up if I always fell asleep the minute I touched the bed.

I pushed my legs off the bed and stood, trying to take it easy. I didn't dare stretch. My left foot felt a bit numb, but I ignored it and made my way to the bathroom; a good shower could work wonders.

After I stepped out of the shower, I heard a knock on my door. "Desmond?" a voice whispered softly from the other side. "Are you in there?"

Inwardly, I had to laugh—I mean, where else could I be?

I opened the door, still dressed in a towel.

"Hey, Desmond, could you—?" Lucy cut off when she saw me, and looked away, cheeks turning red.

"I'll be there in a second," I assured her. "Tell the doc I just wanted to look nice for our next date, or something."

Lucy smiled at that. She slowly looked up at my face, before giving a slight nod.

Then she turned and left.

I sighed. She was the only sane person here, and therefore the only one who could keep me sane. That was one thing I really wanted to hold onto. But with the Bleeding Effect getting worse, it was nearly impossible.

I didn't tell anyone because Vidic wouldn't care; he'd probably speed things up before I ended up like my dear friend, Subject 16. Lucy is another matter. She'd try to convince Vidic to shorten my time in the Animus, and that might be the trigger for him to dismiss her—leaving me alone with these psychos.

Instead, I pretended not to see those piercing golden eyes when I looked in the mirror. Or the shadow of a person walking through the room, deep in thought. I could no longer deny that it was getting harder to distinguish my memories from his. Sometimes, I even had a feeling that someone was watching me—but every time I turned around, no one was there. I was slowly but surely going crazy, and the fear of completely forgetting myself grew stronger and stronger. It made no difference to me whether it was inevitable or not. The only thing that mattered to me was to stop this fucked up plan to get me out of this living hell. It didn't need to make sense to anyone. It just had to make sense to myself.

And it did in some strange way. I wasn't fighting back when they ordered me to go in the Animus but I also didn't do all those things willingly. If possible I tried to let myself go so that I went too deep in the system of the Animus and they had to get me out of that thing. Some other time I blocked their sight so that Vidic couldn't see what happened in that memory. I don't know how exactly it happened or how the hell I actually did it but Vidic was mad. As in really, really mad. Mind the pun. And if that wasn't enough in the last few days my dear brain just sometimes stopped synchronizing with the Animus. Except for yesterday where Vidic therefore decided that we were far too behind schedule and therefore I had this slightly longer session that caused me to throw up afterwards and granted me this lovely headache this morning. I went back into the bathroom to grab some new clothing even though they all looked the same. Sometimes I kinda confused them and I had to change four times because of my very own stupidity. But today was my lucky day and I actually put on the right clothes. When I finished changing I didn't dare to look into the mirror so I just grabbed the dirty clothes, threw them into the basket and left the bathroom.

Not seconds after I entered the _Animus Project laboratory_, as they introduced it to me,Vidic was already glaring at me.

"This is called being late, Mr. Miles. Not a behaviour you should accustom yourself to", was all he had to say before he got back to doing whatever he was doing before. Not that I'd actually care about what he was doing or not for it was surely something I did not or I did not want to understand. I halted as I looked over to Lucy who stood at her usual spot, typing something without even noticing my arrival.

"And what are you waiting for, Mr. Miles? If there's one thing we haven't got it's time so if you wouldn't mind?" For a second I considered answering his question and denying his wish of obedience but I hold myself back and made my way to the Animus. Vidic only muttered a quiet 'finally' before directing me to lie down, then going to his usual place, as well. The whole process was nothing new to me so I obediently lay down and closed my eyes.

I felt my whole body shivering as I felt the all to familiar tingle. As I opened my eyes again all I saw was white what could only mean they were preparing to load the newest memory. I relaxed taking all the white in. It already felt like home to me for everything around me was white. My room, the bathroom, the laboratory and everything here within the Animus.

_And his clothes._

Wherever I looked there was only this white, consuming me and all around it.

"Can you hear me Desmond?" That must have been Lucy. Now that I was realizing where I was I was getting confused. "Lucy?" I heard her breathing a sigh of relief as I said her name.

"What is going on here? Why am I still here?" I couldn't understand what was going on but I sure as hell had no fun staying here all day while my head was still fuming.

But there was no answer. Instead I heard some quiet voices, mumbling something I could not understand. "Lucy?", I asked again hoping this time she would answer. But she didn't and with every passing minute I was getting more and more impatient. What was going on? This had never happened before not even at that time were I wasn't able to synchronize with...that was it! The feeling of being on the brink of a synchronisation never came which could only mean that there was something wrong with the Animus. Even when the synchronisation didn't work there has always been this feeling as if one would stand on a skyscraper, standing there right on the edge and finally getting pushed by something from behind. But I couldn't feel anything at all.

"Lucy? Damn Lucy what the hell is going on?" I was getting frustrated not knowing what was happening and I didn't like this familiar feeling of being trapped. And it surely didn't help at all that I had claustrophobia. Even though there were no real borders I felt like being trapped in the Animus, trapped in the white like it actually does instead of granting me the feeling of being at home. Although recently it started to feel the same to me. Being trapped was part of my life, part of me that I inwardly must have already accepted a long time ago even though I still convinced myself otherwise. I knew it was drawing me down, deeper in my conscience without me being able to resist. If someone wasn't going to help me soon it would drag me down further and further until 'Desmond' would left to be nothing more than an empty shell. I just knew it.

"Desmond? Are you're still there?" There was a voice talking to me, asking me if I was still present. Well of course I was, wasn't I? I was still able to think, still able to hear and everything felt numb. It was like I was sinking deeper and deeper, like being on the brink of falling asleep. But...was I? The more I thought about it the less sense it made to me. Why would I fall asleep? I wasn't tired and with time this numbness was a real burden. Which brought me to the thought, why the hell was I even here? And more importantly... where exactly was 'here'?

Within a second I was back in the white area whilst I slowly gained back my consciousness. More like I ripped it out of the grip of the darkness that had just nearly consumed me.

"Lucy?", my voice was hoarse like I hadn't used it for ages,"what the fuck is happening to me?" That was all I could muster because everything was swirling around me and I suddenly felt so god damn dizzy.

"I don't know! He seems to be angry that it won't work but left a minute ago because he doesn't know what is wrong:" Her voice was getting quieter and higher with every spoken word until the last word was nothing but a whisper. I could hear the panic in her voice and that was something I didn't quite fancy. Lucy was the calm type that rationally thought about what to do when getting in a stressful situation. But now she was afraid of whatever was happening and that didn't help me to calm down at all.

"Right now we think the best thing to do is to get you out of the Animus even though that means wasting more of our limited time as he thoroughly explained. You know I think right now he is even..."

_Oh god no!_ Now she even started to ramble, with that being that one thing I couldn't cope with. So although she kept on talking I wasn't listening. This wasn't just my thing, calming people, trying to ease the situation. Those things were usually her part or someone else's but not mine. And for sure not if I was actually the one being trapped in the machine that was going to collapse any minute.

"Lucy, please. Calm down!" I tried to help her getting back the control of the situation. If not for me than at least for her sake. Because I was a dead loss if I actually had to be the one staying calm, even though it worked so well as bartender. Guess being only surrounded by drunkards who equalled brainless idiots must have been an entirely new situation. Although that was actually the only time when I didn't freak out because of nearing problem. Not that I've showed that on the outside. But when Lucy lost the control she panicked and made all things even worse, therefore not helping the situation at all. For a second there was nothing and I already thought my attempt was useless but then I heard a quiet: "You're right." And that seemed to be the key word as I heard her starting to type something again.

I left her alone for a while and sat down, listening to the typing noise in the background because waiting was the only thing I could do. And it was the only thing I did. What seemed like eternity could have been days, hours, minutes or even seconds for I didn't know how long I waited for Lucy to finally speak to me again, hopefully having a solution. But there was nothing. Only the soft taping on the keyboard that stopped once in while. But I was happy it hadn't vanished which meant I was still connected to the real world. And that was more than I could hope for in this situation.

But then at some point, although I can't exactly say when, I heard some other noise. It sounded like voices but I couldn't identify them, although one clearly had a heavy Italian accent. I stood up and went towards the direction of the voice. It was nice listening to it and was also a welcomed distraction of the ruling silence in here. As I stepped closer suddenly the direction of the voice changed and I quickly turned around and rushed towards the new source of different voices. One of them I recognized. It was Malik and it seemed like he was talking to someone but I didn't know who. I tried to recognize what they were saying but it was sheer impossible and after some time the voices seemed to slowly fade away as I concentrated on their exact words. This strongly reminded me of the bleeding effect, even though usually it was _his_ voice and _his_ shade that I was seeing.

Suddenly the Italian accented voice came back to my right and I turned to it, intending to follow but shortly after, the silence was back again. I tried listening closely but there was nothing but the soft tapping, just like before. It felt highly oppressive because I could no longer sat down and relax, using the situation the best I could., but was rather anxious of being alone again, a feeling that was completely new to me. And then the tapping stopped and everything was silent. After a while I couldn't bear it any more and needed to ask if she was still there with me and thank god for she answered.

"Yes, everything's alright now. I stabilized the Animus so you should be able to come out any minute. It seems like the Animus overheated again which caused an important wire to stop functioning. I guess it was either burned or some materials started to melt which brought about the malfunction." I sighed with relief as I heard the good news.

"Okay I'm going to get you out of there now. Just say something if there's something..." she paused at that. Not something I wanted to hear after I've just been told that I'm not going to die because of some overheated Animus. And I sure as hell just wanted to get out this thing before it decided to just not work like it should whilst I was still in here.

"Okay, ten seconds left", was all I heard before I realized that the white around me slowly started to fade, leaving the familiar black and before I knew it, I was back. But within the last second I could have sworn that I had felt a hand on my shoulder, just lying there but easing the unbearable pain nonetheless.

I knew I felt dizzy before I even got to open my eyes. I guess this was what I deserved for leaving the farm instead of staying there like a good boy. They've always said you get no less than what you deserve or something like that. And it seemed to be fucking true.

"Desmond? Is everything alright? Can you open your eyes?" For starters, let me tell you a thing or two. Being bombarded by questions the second you come back to the living is not something you want to experience for yourself. Although it was nice to know that I was back, alive and probably still sane enough to think rationally I'd really appreciate some quiet moments before I had to face reality.

But luck didn't seem to be on my side today so I just tried to move some body parts, shaking the numb feeling off and was suddenly very aware of my condition.

My eyelids felt heavy which made the whole process of opening my eyes a bit harder but after a while I slowly started blinking. The light was so bright that I had to raise my hand in front of my face to shield it before I actually got the chance to see something.

Right there above me was Lucy's face as she looked down at me, probably still worrying that I wasn't feeling well. But now that I thought about it I've never felt better. And I meant it. My headache was gone, my body didn't ache at all and I didn't feel like throwing up. Feeling so good made me sit up as I still stared at the ceiling.

"Desmond?", she hesitantly asked me again. I turned my head towards her face and starred at her.

The panic was still slightly visible on her face, but her features were clearly showing her concern for my well-being. Being taken care of could actually feel real nice. Although her worries seemed to disappear as I looked at her.

"Welcome back", was all she said as she smiled down at me, although I didn't expect her to push me from the Animus right on the floor. But she did and therefore being absolutely unprepared I shortly after made friends with the ground. And god damn it that fucking hurt like shit, and that just after I was enjoying my painless state after being revived. But she had taken me by surprise, so she also had the upper hand and fled the moment I was too shocked about the fact that I was actually lying on the floor because Lucy Stillman had pushed me down without any warning or something.

After my shock I stood up and made my way over to my room because that was too much for me. Being kidnapped and then trapped by some crazy scientists which made you use a machine that tortures your body for weeks and than finally when you can relax because there is a malfunction within the system there's another one that traps you inside of it, nearly causing you to end up brain-dead. And then the only friend you've got there pushes you down so that at the only time where you hadn't felt any kind of pain your whole body aches because of the impact. Nicely done, really.

So whilst I was limping to my bed I planned how to avoid the next session without having to leave it. As I hopelessly did so I could already feel my headache coming back. I groaned. This was so not happening. _God, what the hell have I done to deserve this._

When I woke up the following morning the first thing I noticed was my headache or rather my non-existent headache. Carefully I stood up and made my way to the bathroom, not wanting to provoke it to come back. Moments like these were rare and I did my best to enjoy them to the fullest.

I didn't feel like showering so I just skipped it, although I did change my clothes after I had worn them the whole night. Not that I could actually decide whether it was day or night having no windows at all. Good though that I had asked Lucy for an alarm clock so I wouldn't completely loose my sense of time, when I was trapped inside of here. Now with new clothes on I walked out of the bathroom to the room door, pushed the red button and went through it as it opened.

Lucy was already at her usual spot as I went over to the Animus.

"Where's the doc?", I asked her because I couldn't see him and it was highly unlikely for him to be late. "He said he has some important things to do, so we're all alone today", was all she said as she directed me to lie down. "Although I think it has something to do with the incident yesterday."

Oh yes, that lovely episode. Not that I had a problem with him not being here, it was just so unexpected of him because usually he insisted on being present.

As I closed my eyes I felt myself being drawn deeper into my consciousness before a second after I was back in the white area. But this time everything felt normal, nothing more nothing less.

"Desmond, are you feeling well?" Because this time I actually did, I nodded, forgetting that she was probably not able to see it. "So it seems.", I said after I actually realized that small problem before I began to walk for a bit. As I walked I looked around for anything suspicious but there was nothing and so I started to relax, waiting for the feeling before a replay to arrive. But nothing came so I slowly felt the panic rising within me and I stopped abruptly.

"Lucy, please tell me there's nothing wrong this time." For a moment she didn't answer but then she sighed and started to talk.

"Actually there is nothing wrong with the Animus but...", at that she stopped talking. Just the thing I loved the most so I asked her again.

"Well I know this sounds weird but...", _please not again. _"Yes?", I tried to encourage her.

"It seems to be a problem coming from you this time." My mouth literally dropped open and I was too shocked to answer.

"No, no, no, no no! I didn't mean like your some lost cause or something", _well thanks_,"but more like ...you know? Well what I mean is that..." Even though Lucy was usually someone who would get straight to the point, this was confusing me to no end. But then she breathed out, so loudly even I could hear it and started anew.

"What I really mean is that there seems to be another presence with you in there. The Animus keeps on telling me that you can't replay his memories because of that presence. In other word, someone or something must be right there with you, keeping you from entering the memories. But that's just impossible. There can't be another one with you in there." Her voice reflected her frustration as she talked and I could practically hear her typing furiously on her monitor. _Someone's here? _

I carefully looked around but there was nothing but white. In the background I still heard her sighing as she talked again.

"Don't ask how, but somehow the presence is allowing us to go on." _What? That was fast._

"What do you mean with it's _allowing_ us ?" Whatever or whoever it was, I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of here. But as I opened my mouth to ask her to get me out, I suddenly felt that pull again. The memory was being loaded and the white started to fade again, slowly being replaced by the appearance of Masyaf.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Because I sure as hell wasn't. But I guess it was too late because I already felt myself being drawn away as everything around me steadily turned black. And that could only mean that I would soon be in Masyaf. I guess in a few seconds everything was going to go back to normal.

"Desmond? Can you see someone? The presence should be directly in front of you."

_Or not._ But as I stared in front of me there was nothing. And it didn't feel like there was someone, as well.

"Now it's behind", she said. Carefully I turned around, shortly before being completely absorbed into the memory. At first I didn't see anything but then suddenly there _he_ was, standing directly in front of me. _Oh god, this can't be._ I took a step back but _his_ piercing golden eyes followed my every movement.

"Desmond? What is wrong? Your blood pressure increased enormously", I heard Lucy ask me. But I didn't care.

"This is not possible", I whispered. But even as I closed my eyes, repeating that sentence over and over and then opening my eyes again, _he_ was still standing there, staring down at me.

I couldn't do anything, my body felt numb and it wouldn't listen to what I wanted. So the only thing I did was gazing over to _him_ as I slowly faded into nothing, going to his place within _his_ memories.

And then everything turned black.

"_Altaïr"_


	2. Chapter 2

And here's the second chapter :) I don't really like it because it's hard to read. It was kinda difficult for me to write about what happened, through a person that happened to be in another person even though the first person is the one that interacts with his surroundings. XD

Have fun ^^

Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed :(

* * *

_**Inheritance**_

_Your chant will lure me to you. Your smile will make me shine._

~.~

As I slowly gained back my consciousness, I heard some dull voices in the background. I couldn't recognize who was talking or what they were talking about but it didn't exactly sound like some friendly chit-chat. With every passing second my vision and hearing got clearer and then suddenly I knew where I was. Surrounded by the walls of Masyaf, my memories from just a few minutes ago came back to me, as well as the panic. But as I tried to move I realized that I couldn't. And although I thought my eyes would widen, not even that seemed to be possible. _But just a second ago I -_

And then I understood. I was in Altaïr's body. Of course I wouldn't be able to move. Inwardly I took a deep breath and tried looking through Altaïr's eyes. It seemed like he was on his way out of Masyaf, taking every possible short cut. As he went around a corner I was greeted by a bright light, and although Altaïr wasn't affected by it, I sure as hell was. So for once I really wished that I'd be able to close my eyes. Whilst I was still discussing with myself how to avoid an incident like that next time, Altaïr had already left the city. He went over to his horse _Sakr, _got on it and left Masyaf behind him. On his way to Damascus, or so I guessed, we met some people that didn't exactly like us, but Altaïr tried to trick them instead of fighting them. That has always been my favourite part and the only thing that actually kept me entertained. But after a short while even that got boring so I just watched my surroundings. I realized that Altaïr had already lost all of his pursuers when he suddenly stopped at some cliff. He looked down and I could see the water flowing down there. At first I didn't recognize this place, so I thought about just how the hell we got here. _We turned left,again left, yet again left, then right and then – wait, what? _I didn't know who he'd been talking to before but if I remembered correctly Altaïr should be going to Damascus to find his fourth target, Abu'l Nuqoud. So why would he go to Jerusalem?

"Desmond? Can you hear me?" I flinched as I heard a feminine voice. It was Lucy. So that meant I was still connected to my time. Relief washed over me as I watched through Altaïr's eyes how he rode to Jerusalem.

"Yeah. And yes, everything's alright", I told her truthfully. Right now nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, even though I had do admit that the brightness was a bit irritating. I've never noticed before that I was able to feel a bit of what Altaïr felt, like warmth or the cold water when it rained. Probably I just wasn't used to this any more.

"Desmond", she halted at that. But I knew what was coming, so I waited for her to continue.

"What exactly happened in there?" I already expected that question but the thing was – I was just as clueless as she was.

"I really don't know. It was just", _yeah, what exactly was it that I saw?_ A hallucination? No that couldn't be. Lucy had also said that there had been someone beside me. But then again it could have been anything or anyone and not necessarily Altaïr. As I thought about what exactly I've seen in that short moment I heard Lucy sigh.

"Was it really him? Was it really...Altaïr?" So she had heard it. I should have known. I didn't know what to say because I knew what I saw but it didn't make any sense. And the more I thought about it the less sense it made. Because first of all that would mean that he somehow travelled forward in time which itself is already impossible. But even if that was possible that still didn't explain how he got into the Animus, or rather how he got to the same loading place as me. All I knew was that it was sheer impossible to go to the same one as another user. So how would he manage to get into my consciousness and that without anyone noticing? No, it was impossible. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been Altaïr.

"No, it wasn't", _because it isn't possible_. But I kept that part to me.

"So why would you say his name? Desmond? Please tell me the truth", I heard her pleading. But I couldn't do that. At least not until I knew what had actually happened. Therefore I kept silent.

"Desmond, please - !" I really hated doing this to her, but what else could I do? Of course I would tell her the minute I figured all of this out, so she just had to wait. But when would that be, or rather would I ever find out what happened there? I wouldn't dare to think of what else could still await me. This was so frustrating, debating with myself even though the easiest solution would be to just tell her the truth.

"Just give me some time, okay?" Because time was what I needed and I hoped she'd understand that. I heard her slowly breathing in and out. I knew this was hard for her, too, but I didn't change my mind. _That's probably why I was always called stubborn, huh?_

"If that's what you need. But just do me the favour and tell me before it's too late." I sighed. So I wasn't the only one who thought there was more to it. _Before it's too late..._ Too late for what exactly? But I didn't know. And I wasn't sure if I even wanted to.

Even though I never answered her we stopped communicating and the only thing I heard was the city noise as Altaïr reached Jerusalem. _So I had been right. _But why Jerusalem? Al Mualim had instructed Altaïr to go to Damascus - so why? I was completely confused about his intentions as I watched Altaïr getting of his horse, making his way over to a group of scholars. I knew what was coming. As the scholars approached the entrance Altaïr managed to blend in with them and therefore was able to enter the city. I never understood how the guards were so easily fooled by that trick. Altaïr did this each and every time and not once could I comprehend how they wouldn't notice his short blade, or his sword for that matter. But as he pretended to pray and walked in the middle of the scholars, he successfully entered the city. Again. Shortly after, he walked through the streets of Jerusalem trying to hide from other guards.

_This is unbelievable. _For some time he only kept on staying on the same street, blending in when necessary. But as he turned right I saw a citizen, threatened by some guards. Altaïr walked over to them and I could only support him as he killed them to save the citizen. And even though I didn't quite agree with this method, I was already used to this and understood that Altaïr didn't really have choice if he wanted to help. As he stabbed the last one of them, the victim thanked Altaïr and promised to give him whatever he wanted. But I knew Altaïr wouldn't ask for anything.

"Just show me where I can stay the night." _What?_ Well, that was unexpected. Now I knew for certain that something was definitely wrong with the whole situation. He searched for a hotel or whatever they were called then, even though he knew that would increase his chance of being discovered. Aside from the fact that he was also in the wrong city. But he man only smiled at him, nodding slightly as he directed him to follow his directions. As Altaïr followed that guy I tried to understand what had happened, for this had really made me curious. What the hell was Altaïr thinking? Why was he disobeying Al Mualim's orders after what had happened? And I had been so sure he would try to regain his reputation. But even more important, what did he plan on doing here? As I thought about that I slowly felt myself getting dizzy. My sight was blurred and I couldn't keep track on where we were going. At some point I wasn't able to see or hear anything and then everything went black.

~.~

As I woke up I realized that Altaïr was already in a private room. Through his eyes I only could see part of the room. Across from where he was sitting there was a door that would probably lead to the lobby. On the right side there was a small bed with some kind of wardrobe right next to it. I concluded that he was sitting on the window sill. And it proved to be right as he turned his head to the right, now looking out of the window. Sometimes I really wished I could be able to hear his thoughts, especially today. Or at least to be able to anticipate what he was going to do next. But no, not even that was granted to me. But I was already used to that. Back then when I was still living on the Farm my father always did things I'd never understood, things I hated him for. And although I didn't hate Altaïr he sometimes was such a mystery, as well. _Like right now._

The streets were all empty and I realized that it must have been around midnight, maybe a bit later. I wondered why Altaïr was just sitting there, not going to sleep at all. I mean, why else would he risk getting discovered? But the moment I thought about that Altaïr stood up and made his way over to the door. As he walked through it I realized that I wasn't in some kind of inn but rather in a real house. Altaïr yet again walked into another room where he met a woman.

"Talib. Still awake I see", I heard her say. Talib? Was that his fake name? But then the woman smiled up at us and raised an eyebrow.

"I can say the same for you, Samar. Why aren't you beside your _habib_?" If I hadn't already been wondering about all those weird things that had happened today, now was surely the time to start.

Altaïr was completely out of character. Usually he might have nodded as an answer, or would've only stared at whoever was talking. That was because he had always wanted to avoid this kind of conversation. There wouldn't be any kind of profit so why should he continue such a conversation, or something like that he'd probably say. Sometimes I really wondered how he was able to continue our bloodline with this behaviour. But that wasn't my problem right now. My real problem was that I had a problem with understanding the last word he had said. Moreover I had to concentrate on what everyone was saying to understand anything at all. But I never had this kind of problem ever before.

The woman called Samar only winked at what Altaïr had said. "Have a good night, _sadiqi_."

Altaïr silently followed her movement as she left the room and I wondered if he had a thing for her. But of course I wouldn't know what the last word she said actually meant, so I was left with my assumption neither being proved right or wrong.

Altaïr left the house and walked through the empty streets, seemingly knowing where he wanted to go. But nothing was going to surprise me any more, so I waited for him to reach his destination. It looked like an old tavern. Altaïr entered and made his way over to the counter where he ordered something I couldn't understand. After he got his drink his eyes travelled over the crowd of people chatting with each other. But then he stopped at one person. He watched him like a hawk when suddenly he activated his eagle vision. Everything around turned grey, except for the person Altaïr was watching. He shined in a golden light, a complete contrast to his surroundings. However, the shade also shimmered slightly red, which has never been a good sign, but a good reason for me to avoid this person. But said man seemed to have noticed he was being stared at because he looked up and smirked as he saw Altaïr approaching him. When he reached the table the man laughed before speaking up.

"Well, well. Look who's here", he said as his smirk widened even more. Then he turned around and whispered something to his two companions who immediately left the table to sit somewhere else.

"Talib, what gives me the pleasure of meeting you here?" Altaïr took a chair and sat down.

"Business, what else?", was all he answered. Now that had really attracted my interest for I had always thought Altaïr was more of a lone fighter. And depending on others sure wasn't something they'd do, even if it was only to gain more information.

"Business, you say? And what could you mean by that -?", he said in sing-song voice, obviously being amused by the whole situation. Altaïr only sneered at that as he took a sip from his drink.

"Oh? And here I thought you'd be a bit smarter than the others." I couldn't believe my ears. I didn't know who this person was, but this just couldn't be Altaïr, could it? This was getting weirder any passing minute. And who the hell were "the others"? There was one question after another and because of them I ended up with me having a big headache, even though I thought things like that weren't possible as long as I was trapped in someone's memories. Yet another thing I was confused about, so maybe all those things that happened in the last days were somehow connected.

"Not everything you might see is also true." And yet again there was that word I couldn't understand, although I also didn't know what he meant by that sentence. So right now I really wished to see Altaïr's face, being able to see his reaction to whatever was going on here. But the only thing I saw was that he now looked away from that man, staring at his glass.

" You're right. La shai'a waqeon mutlaq, wa kulu shai'en mumkin", Altaïr whispered. I really tried to concentrate on each word but I just couldn't understand the last sentence. The man however seemed to understand it and looked at him, annoyed. Then he answered something I also couldn't understand, grinning as he finished his sentence. The whole thing frustrated me. Why couldn't I understand what they were saying? It sounded like Arabic, so I should be able to translate it, thanks to the Animus. But I could only listen to the sounds they made without being to know what they meant and at some point I just quit trying. They shared a few more words before Altaïr stood up and left the table, leaving me confused for I had no idea what they had been talking about.

"You shouldn't trust too easily, _sadiqi_. Or that will be your downfall.", was all the mysterious man said before Altaïr opened the door and left the tavern.

_Now what?_ I didn't know what to think any more. Altaïr appearing in the loading place and then showing a completely new side of him at a place he shouldn't even be at – what the hell was going on? All of this wast just so tiring. I really hated this day and it didn't seem to change as I felt myself shivering because of the cold wind that was awaiting me outside. As Altaïr was on his way back to that house I felt so tired as if hadn't just been watching the whole day, but was rather doing all of those things by myself.

The streets outside were still empty and Altaïr used this opportunity and climbed up a house. As he reached the top he halted for a moment. The view was amazing, even I had to admit that and I enjoyed this small moment of piece. Suddenly he turned left and started running. Instead of walking through the streets he was now flying over the roof tops, granting me a feeling of freedom that I had already longed for. After some time he jumped down from a small building, standing directly in front of his destination. I recognized the house, it was the one he was staying at before. Altaïr approached the door and opened it, without having to use a key. I guessed that it wasn't a common thing to do at that time, even though it would definitely help decreasing the rate of burglary. As I finished this discussion with myself, I heard someone closing a door, although soon enough I realized that it must have been Altaïr who had closed the door for I could feel a doorknob in my hand, or rather his hand. Now being able to feel what Altaïr felt was really beneficial sometimes, but it was still so new to me and therefore I wasn't used to use it for my own advantage. Altaïr quietly left the entrance hall and walked over to his room. I really wondered how someone could walk like that, not making any sound at all. I couldn't even hear it and I was probably the closest person to him. Literally.

_Working in the dark, to serve the light._ Thinking of that at exactly this moment made me realize that one could not only interpret it in one way. But before I could think more about it I already felt his back making contact with the mattress, or more like some hay with fabric around it. But right now it felt like heaven. Just like this I'd gladly fall asleep.

"e- mond? -n you -ear me?", I heard someone saying. I wanted to look around but I couldn't so I had to wait for that voice to reappear, and maybe this time Altaïr would actually hear it

"DESMOND!" _God damnit! That hurt! _Now I was wide awake and within seconds I knew who was screaming at me like some madman.

"God Lucy! Why the hell are you screaming like that?", was the only thing I managed to say before she started speaking again.

"Thank god you're still alive. You really had me worried." Well yes, now she should be worried. I mean after she nearly made me deaf that really was the first thing she should be doing. But why did she sound as if she was in a hurry? If she had been that worried why hadn't she contacted me all the time?

"You know, I've been trying to contact you for hours now – you hear me? Hours! What have you been doing all that time?", she said to me, panic clearly in her voice. But didn't she know what I've been doing? I mean, she was the one who put me into the Animus, making me replay the newest memory. And on top of that she was also able to follow everything on her little monitor, so actually she should know what happened. Although it didn't feel like hours since the last time I spoke to her.

"You of all should know that, shouldn't you? I replayed the memory, nothing else. But it hasn't finished yet", I explained her, deliberately withholding the details of what happened.

"Well it seems like there's a new", she stopped at that, probably thinking of a fitting word that she could use, "a new malfunction within the Animus. But fortunately it doesn't seem to affect you, or does it?" She was kidding, right? This was just a joke, there was no malfunction and for once everything was just plain normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Right?

"I know this is probably a bit hard for you", _just a bit _," but it seems as if there's just a small problem with the connection. That'd also been the reason why I couldn't contact you." Not that it was that unexpected. Usually they'd only try to contact me in case of an emergency or to warn me that they'd forcefully disconnect me from the memory.

"Although that wasn't exactly the problem", I heard her mumbling. So she agreed with me concerning this matter.. But what else could be the problem, besides all those we've already faced?

"After you got on your horse the connection started to fail and shortly after all I was able to see was a black display. So I have no idea what happened afterwards." Now _this _was unexpected.

"So what happened in Damascus? Did he manage to kill his fourth target?", she asked me. _Oh yeah._ I had almost forgotten that Altaïr was supposed to go to Damascus, killing his fourth target to regain his reputation. So that meant something went really wrong. But as I tried to briefly tell her what happened she was quicker.

"Desmond, you – are you sure you were replaying a new memory?" What was she trying to say? Of course I was sure so I affirmed it.

"I was just wondering why the system keeps on telling me that you haven't. The last time we weren't able to record the memory, it still was stored as 'replayed'. But now it's not even unlocked -" I held my breath at what she was saying. Did that mean what I've been seeing wasn't an actual memory? But if so, what else could it be?

"You know Desmond, I know you're probably going crazy in there but you have to relax. As long as we can keep on contacting you don't need to be afraid of anything because nothing can happen to you in there, remember? That's Altaïr and not you", her voice was shaking but she still tried to make me feel better. I felt so sorry for her. Recently she always had dark circles around her eyes and the constant work seemed to make her weaker each time I saw her. And now she was also worrying about the new problems and me going crazy because of the bleeding effect.

"We're lucky that Vidic isn't here at the moment or both of us would have another problem. So how about you rest a bit for now? Just lay down with Altaïr and maybe this'll end before you even realize it." That was the last thing I heard from her so I waited for Altaïr to close his eyes before I slowly drifted off, only hearing Altaïr mumbling something in his sleep.

"_I'll find you."_

_~.~_

As I opened my eyes, I remembered what had happened the day before. Lucy had been right in saying that I needed some sleep for now I felt like being reborn. Nonetheless the sun was still against me for I had to close my eyes again because of the bright light. _Just how the hell could it get so bright in this room?_ Usually Altaïr would get up at dawn, so there wasn't that much light. But even if he got up a bit later the sun never reached the farthest part of the room because of the curtain- like fabric that adorned the windows. Accepting my fate of being blinded for some time I sat up and massaged my temples. The headache wasn't that bad but still it irritated me. A few minutes later I was used to the light and I looked around. From where I was sitting I could see all of northern Jerusalem.

_What?_ My eyes widened before I closed them, rubbing them for a second and then opening them again. But nothing had changed. Jerusalem in all its glory was right in front of me, or rather I was in the midst of it. And that was because I had been sleeping on a roof top. But how the hell did I get here? When did Altaïr leave the room and walked over here? Also, why would he want to sleep here instead of the house? As I stood up I was able to see that the streets were already filled with hundreds of people, scholars, merchants, guards and even more. I had never noticed but from up here everything seemed so small but still so close. As I watched the crowd the wind rushed through my hair and for once it didn't smell like disinfectant as it did everywhere in the building of Abstergo. I secretly enjoyed this peaceful moment but I also knew that it wasn't going to last for much longer. So I waited for Altaïr to move, taking me from this place. But nothing happened. Instead I felt a sharp pain on my left arm. I winced as it got worse and raised my arm looking for any wound. But there was none. I concentrated on every detail and then I noticed that a small part of my tattoo was missing. Then suddenly my eyes widened.

_Wait – WHAT? _My tattoo? How could there be my tattoo if this was Altaïr's arm? _God no!_ If this was some sick joke it sure as hell wasn't funny.

"Lucy? Hey, Lucy! You gotta answer me, something is really wrong here!" But she didn't answer. So I was on my own. Well this was just great. Really great. And what was I supposed to do now? But the more I thought about it the less sense it made and I could only look back at the tattoo.

And back at _**my **_arm.

* * *

Okay there are 3 things I want to say :)

1. I'll try updating on every Saturday or Sunday but sometimes that might just not be possible. The only problem is that I can only write them at the weekend and sometimes I've got things to do then, as well ...sooo ..either I'm going to write a chapter like this in two hours (just like today) and they might be horrible or I have to do it at some other time :'( Sry :(

2. I want to thank all of my readers ***big smile* ** I thought this fanfic was going to be awful because it's my first story ever ^^ And I'm so happy that I even got some reviews ***hug***

3. Maybe you have noticed that the genre is drama/ ROMANCE … so there actually has to be some sort of couple :D I don't really care whether it's f/m or m/m ^^ right now I don't need it but eventually I have to know so I can make some hints :D the thing is that it depends on some of my friends, maybe also my mood but of course also on what you want to read! So I'd really appreciate it if you would somehow contact me to tell me what (type of) couple you'd prefer :) I also have an oc in mind if that's what you want ^^

LG from Germany :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there :) I actually wrote a third one XD (Btw, from now on Desmond lives in the time of the Third Crusade ^^)

But first of all I want to thank my reviewers :)

~.~

_Hack Generation: Thx for being my first reviewer :) Although I still haven't got a clue what '_Ewwenfwefjwe' is supposed to mean_ ;) :D_

_Sassiersphinx81: Big thx *hug* you really motivated me to write a new chapter :) (btw I LOVE your profile pic _=)_ )_

_Tree1112: my friends always tell me that I'm describing too much so THX for commenting because now I know that there's actually someone out there that likes my habit :D And sry but I still don't know who's going to be the main couple :/ I'm still waiting for more opinions ;)_

_CupcakeGirlyGirl: I'm trying my best ^^ thx for reviewing two times *big smile*_

_Emilin Rose**: **could it be ? XD Well yes ^^...at least if the majority wants Alt/Des ;) so you're also for that couple? (can I add you to my list?) :D_

_FayeFox: so you're from Germany, too ? :D dann danke für 2 reviews __**:)**__ and sry but you gotta get used to cliffhangers *__evil grin*__ and also thx for writing what couple you want :* btw, right now Alt/Des is leading..._

_BlasterDarkRevenger: hints? For Alts/Des ? Oh yes :D there _are_ a lot of them *laughs* but that's always in the eye of the beholder... so it might change when the story develops ( if the pairing is not Alt/Des) and thx for reviewing AND 'voting' *hug*_

_MiniAjax: :D ich musste sooo lachen als ich deinen Kommentar gelesen habe ^^ __zur Story: erstmal DANKE für beide Kommentare :* ich hab die ganze Zeit gedacht Desmond wäre total ooc, besonders im zweiten :'( und ja der ist jetzt wirklich da^^ das ist _so ne Art_ Zeitreise ;)_

_ReadsToMuchALot: thank you *__happy*__and thanks for voting :)_

_AmericanJynx Jones: that's no problem :D being critical/ sceptical helps me to improve my chapters so thx **hug** and I really hope that I'm not going to disappoint you :(_

_raindropdew: no thank YOU for commenting ^^ yeah poor Desmond ...*grins* there will be a loooot more than that ...hehehe _

_Lureln: thx for your review :) I'm always happy if someone likes my story (so far) :D_

_hypersreak: well here's the next one :) I hope you'll like it ;) and thx for reviewing ^^_

_Random Google: first of all thanks for your review *happy* about the couple, I'm actually not the_

_one who decides :) I'll let my readers vote so I can't promise anything ;)_

_~.~_

_aaaaannnd a special thanks to my beta *******hug* **you're the best! :) (I got my laptop back ! :D )_

_and of course I also want to thank all my readers/followers =)_

btw you can still tell me which (type of) couple you want ;)

Have fun ^^

,,-,,-,,-,,-,,

Disclaimer: I still don't own Assassin's Creed :(

* * *

_**Inheritance**_

_But what if I'll wither, never to hold again what I once heedlessly called mine?_

_What if our voices won't join and my heart will shatter into pieces?_

_Will you still guide me through the darkest night, not once looking back?_

_~.~_

Desmond had been wandering around the city for a long time now and it seemed as if the more he tried to think about how exactly he could escape this nightmare the more he lost himself in it. There was nowhere for him to hide without being found by someone who thought that taking the alley he was trying to hide in as short cut would be a great idea. Of course it would have been so much easier for him to just blend in with the crowd - if he was even able to do that - but there was this small problem.

_Oh god, damn these clothes!_

And exactly that was the problem. He was still wearing his jeans, shoes and his hoodie that he had been wearing back there at Abstergo. But it wasn't like he minded his clothes, actually they were pretty comfy. They just didn't quite fit into this time.

Wherever he went he attracted everyone's attention and people kept on glancing at him. After some time he had enough and put on his hood before quietly leaving the main street to find some quieter place. Since then he constantly needed to change his hiding place because someone always managed to walk by his place and he didn't dare imagining what would happen if a stranger would see him standing there, all alone in a dark alley, wearing foreign clothes and probably glaring at him like he always did when being deep in thought. And he was told that his glares could be pretty intimidating.

Desmond sighed. A few minutes ago he had found this place, hoping that no one would come this way. He couldn't remember Altaïr ever coming here before and that guy was known for taking even the deepest alleys normal people would avoid at all costs. When he didn't hear someone getting close he leaned back against the wall, crossing his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

Thinking about the situation he was in didn't really help to calm him down. Whatever happened just couldn't be real but the longer he had to endure this unwanted stay the more he had to admit that it didn't feel like a dream at all. It didn't make sense and Desmond was never one to believe in fairy tales but it seemed like he had somehow travelled back in time. Moreover that would also explain why he was no longer able to contact Lucy for that matter. He just hoped that he was still somehow connected to the Animus for that was probably his only chance of getting out of here.

Desmond sighed again. His situation was getting worse every passing second. There was no way he would survive this for a long time because he had nowhere to stay at, nothing to eat and nothing to drink. Well actually he had nothing but himself and some clothes that were more of a disadvantage than they would benefit him. Being reminded of his clothes again he got frustrated.

_This is a waste of time. _With his eyes still closed he stretched before going back to his previous position. Now the first thing he had to do was to get new clothes or otherwise he could surrender himself to the guards right now because they'd probably arrest him for looking suspicious the minute they saw him walking innocently through the city, anyway. But he had no idea how to do that for he still hadn't got any money and there was nothing he could trade it for.

Looking for a job was also out of the question because even if he'd find something that fast they wouldn't hire him with these clothes. Whatever he thought of, his clothes would always be a hindrance. Therefore there was only one option left. Pickpocketing.

Now he'd never done it before and didn't quite now if it was a wise decision but there was nothing else he could do. Of course it would be even harder for him because s everyone around him would already be cautious thanks to his clothes. Therefore the chance of getting caught was immensely high. But Desmond still needed to try, being tired of restraining himself for he had done that for too long now thanks to Abstergo and the doc. The only problem was – what exactly had he had to do?

He'd seen Altaïr stealing all kinds of things, like throwing knives or even important documents and it has always seemed to be so easy. He guessed that stealing some money instead of those things wouldn't make that much of a difference but that didn't change the fact that he had no idea how to do it. It wasn't like he just had to bump into someone whilst quickly taking the money that hopefully was somewhere in the clothing and then walking away as fast as possible without looking too suspicious, - right?

But if so, he was utterly screwed. There was no chance he could do this secretly whilst still wearing these clothes. Not that wearing nothing at all would make the situation any better but it'd probably had a very similar effect. Going unnoticed was therefore as good as impossible.

Sighing a third time in a row Desmond slowly opened his eyes, not minding the welcomed breeze that whirled through his hair, still with him having his hood on. He couldn't decide what to do.

Obviously it was a nearly impossible task to steal money but considering that he needed some to survive, this was his only option. As he was still discussing with himself about what to do he closed his eyes again, if only for a few seconds, before he stood up, brushing the dust off his jeans. From here he could hear the voices from the main road ringing through the streets, banishing the silence. That meant that the street was still crowded with people. So it was now or never.

_This is my only chance._

Desmond started walking towards the sound of the busy streets to get what he needed. Money.

Fortunately he still remembered his way back to some street where most people were too busy to notice what was going on around them. Now the only thing he had to do was walking inconspicuously through the streets, even with these clothes on. To be on the safe side he kept his hood on.

And then there it was. The street was as busy as ever with merchants trying to sell their items, some people who discussed something about a trade and just those who seemed to be in a hurry, being his chosen victims. _Perfect._

Desmond stood there, analysing the situation before slowly walking beside a group of people who seemed to be too distracted to notice him walking with them. Actually until now no one had paid attention to him and he was already looking for his first victim. But he couldn't find anyone who probably wouldn't notice his attempt. So for a long time he just stayed with that small group that was discussing something about some King, with that being actually the only word he could understand. He knew that his whole plan would fail if he wasn't going to act now but he was just so - afraid?

In the present there was at least some justice, some rules that would keep him alive but this was a completely different matter. If they'd catch him doing this he'd end up as a long-time prisoner or even dead because they'd probably also think that he was some kind of spy or enemy thanks to his clothes. Now that he thought about it the whole thing was all because of his damn clothes. Otherwise this could be so much easier. But still – he didn't want to rush this for no one would help him here. However if he was just going through the streets, not doing anything, he'd end up dead, as well. _This is such a fucked up situation._

So what to do now? He couldn't just do nothing. He had to this. And that's what he did.

As the next person got close to him he left the safety of his group and quickly bumped into the man.

Without hesitation his hand looked for the place most people hid their money at and there it was. A small bundle with coins in it. He grabbed it before leaving the man alone as fast possible, making his way over to the next corner where he somewhere wanted to hide at. Victory was already in his mind but then he turned around, as the man from before suddenly started to scream. Desmond couldn't understand what he was saying, but as the man pointed his finger at him, two angry guards pushed several people out of their way, walking directly to where he was standing. Desmond's face paled, suddenly having a very good idea of what those words had meant and within seconds he was running away, the two guards still behind him. After he had turned right Desmond knew exactly where he was, again. Somehow he had to use this knowledge as his advantage. But then again, the guards probably knew the city even better. So whatever he thought of he had no other chance than to lose them somehow. But after minutes of endless running, whilst pushing people out of his way he noticed that breathing was getting harder.

When he had still been in Altaïr's body he'd never had this problem because Altaïr's stamina was better than every racer could ever hope for. But running has never been a favourite sport of him and therefore his stamina sucked and not just a bit. The guards were getting closer as he got slower every passing second. He knew that he couldn't keep this up. He had to do something.

As he crossed another bigger street, he followed it this time instead of running into the next alley just ahead of him. Some people curiously stared at him, but went back to what they had been doing before just seconds after. With that Desmond managed to somehow blend in with the crowd. Taking a careful glance back he saw the two guard coming from the alley, first confused, then frustrated as they realised that they couldn't see him. At first they kept on looking through the crowd, so he turned around, carefully walking forward. The second time he turned around he could see the guards going into the opposite direction. Relief washed over him and after a few steps he went left into the next alley. It was quite dark, the perfect place to hide at.

Desmond slowed down, now just walking. He caught his breath and wiped the sweat from his face, as he already saw the main street straight ahead of him. Deciding that he needed to calm down for a few minutes he let himself fall to the ground, now being in a sitting position. With his face turned to the sky he slowly closed his eyes. This was even harder than he'd expected, even though he had already thought of the worst. He didn't even dare to think of what would have happened if they'd caught him. But then he remembered that it wasn't all in vain. Hastily he opened his eyes, looking at the bundle in his hand. Even though Desmond kept most of his emotions invisible to others he couldn't stop the grin forming on his lips. This was just amazing. Now he had what he needed.

_And I survived._

With the money he had stolen he'd probably be able to buy new clothes and even though that was just a small step it was the key to survive here. Carefully Desmond opened the bundle, letting the content fall on his hand. But whatever it was, it was no money. Then he realised that there probably wasn't such a thing like currency. So that meant it was still all about trade or gold, silver and bronze. Looking at the coins in his hand he wondered just how much money he had right now. It could be a thousand and at the same time as good as nothing.

Desmond sighed. He could try buying some clothes, risking the chance of not having enough money. But then again they could also trick him, taking more money than it was worth if they'd notice his insecurity. As Desmond was about to put the coins back into the bundle he noticed that there was still something in it. With a swift movement he widened the opening of the bundle a bit and suddenly he heard something fall on the ground. Quickly he searched for it but it was so dark that it took some time. But then he grabbed something cold. Whilst raising his arm he tried to identify whatever he was holding. It looked like some sort of ring with a gem but there was something more. The ring only served as a holder of a piece of paper. Carefully not to rip it he took it our. As he separated them from each other he put the ring and the coins back into the bundle, keeping the sheet of paper still in his left hand. Then he curiously opened it, only to be disappointed just seconds after.

Of course the message was written in Arabic. He should have considered that a bit earlier. Luck sure wasn't on his side. Knowing that he somehow needed to learn the language he folded the paper and put it into his pocket. Now he had to find another, safer place to wait at until it got darker. And then he'd buy some new clothes because even if he hadn't got enough money, the ring looked old and expensive. Having this in mind his mood went drastically up.

Breathing in he went out of the alley, joining a new group of people to blend in with. But it didn't work. The people stared at him, frightened. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come here, still in his modern clothes whilst probably grinning like a maniac. Most people took a step back and then he heard someone screaming. Again. Desmond winced at the sound and as he turned around he recognised the two guards that were glaring at him. It were the same as before for he could still remember that scar on the face of the left one.

_You're kidding, right?_ This just couldn't be happening. Not five minutes ago he was able to lose them and now they were already back, again. Seconds ago his mind had been full of hope, full of joy like he'd never felt before. Before his life could haven been described as dull but this new thing where his life was at stake, he could only feel – and he knew that it was wrong but – was it excitement?

Without turning around he started to run again, this time knowing what to do. Most people were already out of his way so he made his way over to the next alley on the left side. Too late he realised that there were more guards and then suddenly he had 4 pursuers.

_Just my luck._ Now having to rethink the whole situation he made a sharp turn and took instead of the left alley the right one. He knew that not far away from here there was a ladder leading up to the roof tops. Giving his all he turned right as the next corner was in sight and then there it was. Quickly he climbed up the ladder, taking two stairs with one step until he finally reached the top. But he couldn't stop here for he could already hear the voices of his pursuers following him on the rooftops. The only option Desmond had left now was jumping to the next rooftop. But the thing was, even though Altaïr had always made it look so easy, he was pretty sure that that wasn't the case. It was probably the excitement still left within him that eventually made him jump, but seconds after he stood on another roof, safe and sound. Behind him, or so he guessed, the first guard reached the top.

Quickly he began to jump. He jumped from one roof to another, sometimes taking turns to lose the guards. With the opposing wind against his face it felt like flying. And he loved it. Never in his life had he felt so free. Free from all those demand, free from the control they had had over him. For a second he forgot where he was but then there was that voice screaming from below. It was one single world and even though it was still in Arabic, Desmond knew it all too well.

The four guards looked down, conversing with the one shouting from the ground and then suddenly one of the four sounded like he was cursing before making his way to the ground, directing the other three to follow him. Just a few seconds after all of them were gone.

Desmond didn't know what had made them do that but he guessed that it had something to do with the Assassin's for that was the word he was able to understand. Probably they were after some assassin and needed more people. Well, whoever it was he silently thanked him for distracting the guards. Now that he was safe he took a few steps back before making his way over to another roof top, not wanting to be found sitting at the same place. As he yet again jumped to another one he sat down. Now it was time for him to wait and not seconds after he already drifted away.

~.~

As he woke up the sun was already going down, making the sky shimmer in a beautiful mixture of orange and red. Realizing that he had taken an unwanted nap his eyes snapped open, searching his surroundings for any kind of danger. But fortunately there was none. His shoulders relaxed and he changed from a defensive stance, he hadn't even realised being in, to a more comfortable position.

Now that is was getting dark it was time for him to get some new clothes. Standing up, he stretched, for his limbs still felt a bit numb and he didn't dare leaving a safe place without being properly prepared. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Looking over the edge Desmond could see that no one was down there. Now he just needed to find a way down. Walking from one spot to another he looked for a ladder where he could climb down but there was none. And that proofed to be a real problem because now he had no idea how to get down.

Sure, when he had been smaller he had been trained to become an assassin but that was years ago and climbing has never been part of the regular schedule. But somehow he _had_ to get down. Of course he could just jump to other roof tops and maybe there would be a ladder but who knew when exactly he'd find one. Not wanting to risk that, he analysed which way would be the best way down. After standing there for a few minutes he felt utterly stupid. And yet again this would have been no problem if he'd still in Altaïr's body. But he wasn't.

And the worst thing – it felt like someone was watching him the whole time. Yet every time he looked around there was no one. However the moment he turned around to go back to planning his way down he could feel those eyes on his back. It was creeping him out but right now he had better things to do, like _somehow_ getting back down. He couldn't wait forever, so he sighed before slowing kneeling down and then swinging his legs over the edge. Knowing that his stalker was probably still watching him hanging there like some idiot made the whole thing harder for Desmond but with a firm grip on the edge, his feet searched for something solid to stand on. With this tactic he somehow finally managed to successfully climb down without getting hurt. That this had probably been the easiest part of his whole plan wasn't something he wanted to think about, so he slowly made his way through the alley,those eyes still following him. He just knew it.

But he didn't care for it seemed like the owner of those eyes didn't mean any harm. At least for now.

As he walked out of the alley, the first thing he noticed was its emptiness. The street which had been filled with hundreds of people just a few hours ago, was now as good as empty. Most of the merchants were already packing their things together, their customers long gone. Of course that also meant that he couldn't hide in the crowd but he just hoped that the guards were somewhere else. Looking to the sides Desmond searched for someone who was selling clothes. After some time he noticed that his observer was gone whilst at the same time he found the perfect sales stall. Quickly he walked over to the man, for he could already saw him packing his things together, as well.

As he stood in front of him, the man looked up at him, examining Desmond like some test subject.

Desmond pointed at his clothes and then at a weird clothing that the man was selling. Well, it had to do for now. Confused the man started to talk him, his head slowly tilting as he spoke. But Desmond didn't even understand one word. Of course this had to happen to him. He had planned to do this all without having to speak, hoping that showing what he wanted would suffice. He should have known that wasn't going to work. As the man stopped talking Desmond didn't know what to do next.

_Just maybe -_

"You wouldn't be speaking English by any chance, would you?", Desmond asked.

The man narrowed his eyes. - _I thought so._

Desmond sighed as the man started to talk again, this time a bit more aggravated. What was he supposed to do now? Obviously that merchant wasn't going to sell him something that easily.

But said man was still speaking, his voice a bit accusing even though Desmond wasn't exactly sure why. Well, if this wasn't going to work he had to use another method.

Searching his pocket for the bundle, he pointed at the man's clothing and then at the coins he was now holding in his hand. Hopefully the merchant would understand what he wanted to say.

But even though he knew that the people here weren't too friendly with foreigners, he didn't exactly expect this reaction.

The man's eyes widened and suddenly he was screaming like some madman, waving and then pointing at me. It felt like a deja-vu as a guard jogged around the corner, all of a sudden freezing as he saw me. _Please, not again._

Desmond didn't know why but the man in front of him obviously thought he was some kind of thief.

And yet again, Desmond turned around and started to run in the opposite direction of where the guard was standing. This already seemed to be part of his daily routine. Failing and then being chased by guards. How nice.

Cursing as he tried to outmanoeuvre his pursuer, Desmond ran through the streets, thinking of a good strategy. He could try finding a new house with a ladder but then again he had no idea where to find one. So his strategy was running and hoping he'd be faster than they. Probably that was not the best plan but luring his pursuer into a dark alley wouldn't work because he had no weapon. Even if he had one he might have been inferior, considering the fact that the last time he'd fought lay way back in the past. On top of that he couldn't remember ever having to fight with a sword. No one has ever taught him how to fight with one because it wasn't necessary in the present. So he'd probably loose anyway. Not that he wanted to try it so he kept on running. But then at same point he had an idea. If he'd go left in a few seconds he'd enter a narrow alley with a lot of places to hide at. Of course there was also the chance of getting caught but right no he was confident enough to try it nonetheless because actually there weren't any more options left, except for keeping on running. And that'd eventually end in a real bad way. So now that he had turned left he hectically searched for a hiding place, immediately being rewarded by seeing a hay bale. The thing was he wasn't exactly sure if that would work. The guard couldn't be that stupid – could he?

But Desmond hadn't got any time to think about that any longer as he could already hear the guard getting closer. With a swift move he jumped into the hay bale, being careful not to make it fall apart.

Fortunately he made it in time as he heard the guard turning into the alley, as well.

Then he slowed down and Desmond could hear him getting closer to where he was hiding at. Holding his breath he waited for anything to happen but then suddenly the guard just stopped, probably standing directly in front of the hay bale.

_I knew this was a stupid idea._ Inwardly he cursed. Of course he'd find him. Not even a guard would be so stupid to ignore such an obvious hiding place. So what made him think he'd be safe in here?

But even after minutes nothing happened. It seemed like the guard was already gone but then again he couldn't have possibly left because there hadn't been any sound of movement. And that in turn could only mean that the guard was still standing there. Suddenly he heard a small thud and then the silence was back again. Desmond listened closely but there was nothing. Maybe the guard knew that he was hiding in here and had fun tantalising him in some way, only to kill him a bit after. Letting something fall to the ground was probably just a way to lure him out, making it all the more fun. Therefore Desmond waited for the moment where the guard would lose his patience.

But nothing came. _This is weird._

By now he had thought something would have happened but there was nothing but silence. Carefully Desmond took a deep breath, after all the small ones hadn't been sufficient. But as he breathed in, the hay proofed to be in the way and all of a sudden he got a coughing fit. Because of his distress he sat up, trying to get some fresh air. His lungs were hurting for some of his saliva had gotten into his airway and the coughs got worse. After a while it slowly got better and the coughing eased. He could feel the hay being everywhere. On his head, in his face, on his back, on his legs. It was everywhere. It pricked, itching whenever Desmond moved. Shaking his head to get the hay off it he suddenly saw some red liquid at his feet. Realizing in what exact situation he was in, he leaped to his feet, trying to fight of his enemy. But as he looked around there was none. Surprised he let his arms fall back, standing straight. Where was his enemy? Taking a small step forward Desmond looked for any kind of danger. When he couldn't see anyone he went back. But suddenly he felt his feet getting wet. Looking down, the realisation hit him. The red liquor he had seen was blood.

As he followed the blood trail his head slowly turned to the left.

And there it was. Right next to the hay bale was the dead body of the guard that had been chasing him not too long ago. The blood was still flowing out of his neck. Getting closer Desmond noticed that a throwing knife was sticking in his artery, creating a clean-cut. A cold shiver ran down his spine. Whoever did this obviously knew what he was doing. The fact that he killed this guard also meant that he had been following Desmond until this very moment and was probably still watching. That would also explain the feeling of being watched since the moment he had waken up. But as Desmond looked around he couldn't see any one, again. Now the real question was what the stranger wanted. First he was watching him and now this. What exactly did he think he'd gain from doing all this? Being utterly confused Desmond leaned over the dead body. But as he tried to take out the throwing knife the body started to twitch. He winced at that, jumping back immediately.

His heart beat increased rapidly but he soon realised that the body stayed where it was. This time he took a few steps before quickly ripping the knife out of the body. For a second he also thought about taking the clothes but then again they were already full of blood and he didn't know if it would somehow raise suspicion if he'd wear them. He could already imagine in what bad situation it could bring him. Therefore he only took the throwing knife. Looking at his clothes he saw that there was no blood on it. Relief washed over him as he carefully cleaned the blade with the still clean part of the guards clothing. Well at least he now got some sort of weapon. With that in mind he thought of what to do now. He still had the money, the ring and that weird message but no clothes. He also didn't want to try buying new clothes, again, after what had happened. So he somehow had to get them through another way. Sighing, Desmond already knew what would await him. If he couldn't buy some clothes, he had to steal some. Looking up he realised that the sun was already gone and it was slowly getting dark. So plan C was going to start very soon.

He just had to find some house to break in to without getting noticed. A thing he'd obviously win hands down, as he had already demonstrated even two times this day. So of course this was going to be a piece of cake for him. _Who am I kidding?_

Desmond knew all too well that his chance of success was about one percent. As he finished cleaning his blade he stood up, still not knowing what to do now. But he surely wasn't going to go the way back he came from so he put the knife under his shirt and walked further into the alley. Maybe he should stay here until it was dark enough. But then again it was never a good idea to stay at one spot. Putting his hands into his pocket he kept on walking, whilst thinking about what happened. He knew that he somehow travelled back in time with the help of the Animus. What he didn't know was how to get back. If he'd stay here too long this could be the death of him. He would be probably able to cover himself for a while but he didn't think he could survive here for long time. Or maybe he would survive this but he'd end up as a long-time prisoner, which wouldn't make his situation any better.

As he followed the course of the alley he suddenly heard some dull voices. Now being completely awake he tried to identify their location. It seemed like they were coming from further ahead. Quietly he followed their sound. As the alley spilt up into two, he stopped. Listening closely he decided to follow the right way. As the voices suddenly stopped he halted. But curiosity wouldn't let him go so he started to walk again. Shortly after he saw a shadow on the wall in front of him. Carefully he tiptoed a bit further up to the corner, pressing his back against the wall, before slowly glancing over the edge.

There were two guards, one holding a torch in his head. Both of them weren't talking, just grinning at each other. For a few minutes they stayed quiet before the one with the torch started to speak again.

"You know what that means, don't you?", the man's grin only widened.

"We caught him. Now we'll be rich and famous." The other one laughed darkly.

As they talked Desmond realised that he could understand them. They were speaking English. But in a way that made sense since they were Templars, probably from England. Desmond didn't know much about the Third Crusade, but he knew that the Templars, directed by Richard I of England, wanted to spread the Christianity in Jerusalem. Or something like that. So them being able to speak English was to be expected, although he had never heard them speaking English before whilst he had still been inside of Altaïr's body. But being able to understand what they were saying also made him wonder. Who exactly did they caught that would make them act like that?

"And in no time we'll have all of them. It's his, take a look", one said whilst searching his clothes.

Leaning a bit more over the edge, Desmond saw him taking out a short blade from under his clothes. It looked unique with its adornment on its hilt. As he inspected the blade, one of the two guards started to talk again. Instantly Desmond knew that they were talking Arabic again. _Out of all times they could speak Arabic, why did it have to be now?_ As they kept on talking Desmond looked back at the blade. It irked him that the blade was so familiar but at the same time he he didn't know where he knew it from.

But already seconds after he was enlightened by the guards as one of them chuckled, before saying only one word.

_'Altaïr'_

~.~

How could he have been so stupid? Of course it had been Altaïr's blade. He didn't even know anyone else's short blade. After Desmond had realised that it was indeed Altaïr's blade he hadn't wasted any time and immediately made his way over to Malik's bureau. He wasn't able to safe Altaïr on his own, that much he knew, but if could get Malik to help him and in doing so maybe even some more assassin's, Altaïr could be saved.

But now that he stood on the roof of the bureau, now that he only had to jump down, he understood that he couldn't ask for help. They wouldn't believe him and he had no evidence. Maybe they would even kill him because he knew of the bureau. The more Desmond thought about it the less sense it made for him to enter. Instead of helping he'd be more of a new hindrance or even a danger to them.

Sighing, Desmond jumped back to another roof top where he knew was also a ladder, before slumping down as he safely reached it. His whole day had been nothing but a mess and now Altaïr was captured by those damn Templars, and he as the only one who knew about couldn't do anything because it would raise too much suspicion. That would only make things more complicated. However the thing that worried him the most was the fact that the Templars knew Altaïr's name. There was no way someone could have told them unless there was a traitor within their Brotherhood. Thinking of that Desmond was nothing more than a nervous wreck. Never in his life had he ever felt so helpless as today. Not even when he was kidnapped by Abstergo.

But who could be the traitor? He didn't remember anyone from his textbooks but then again it seemed like they were lacking most of the important information, making the stories incomplete and therefore also often plain wrong.

For that matter Desmond had already tried to contact Lucy but he couldn't reach her. Now being all alone not only made him feel helpless, but also frightened. Frightened of what happened, frightened of what still awaited him. But moreover - he was frightened of what would happen if wasn't able go back.

Having these new feelings made him tense and he didn't know how to deal with them. Back in the present he had always known what to do, how to react and what to say. Analysing people and anticipating their behaviour was getting easier with the time until finally he was able to read most of them like an open book. But here, in the past, he wasn't able to do that. People thought differently and even though he was probably still good at analysing his counterpart, a lot of things would go amiss. And that thought of not having the upper hand scared him.

Lying down in a comfortable position, Desmond shivered. Thinking back of what had happened made him all the more scared. Nonetheless it also frustrated him.

He was thrown into the past, with no money and even though he had some now, the street vendors would only call the guards if he dared to buy something with it. So it had no use to him.

Besides that he couldn't even speak the language and knew no one here or rather no one knew him.

But that being not enough, Altaïr was now being trapped by the Templars who seemed to know their enemy very well if they even knew Altaïr's first name.

Looking at it like that, it couldn't have gotten any worse. And even though he knew it was a useless attempt, he knew that he had to at least try it.

As Desmond slowly close his eyes, his last thought was about saving Altaïr from those bastards.

He didn't know why but it felt like his duty to help him after all they've been through together, even though Altaïr might haven't even realised it.

So regardless of being all by himself now, with no one to aid him, he'd save him.

_No matter what._

* * *

_That's it :D_

_...you know I think I know why I don't like my chapters:_

→ _there is no 'reading flow' if you know what I mean :O _

→ _I really want to update on time so I always try to write a new chapter in a few hours … and _

_now I realised that it's getting pretty obvious that I only want to finish it :'( Sorry! :/_

_About the couple :_

_m/m : 1_

_m/w: 1_

_Alt/Des: 5_

_but you can still vote :)_

_LG from Germany *hug*_


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